Honestly, trying to track the Laura Govan dating history is like trying to map out a thunderstorm while you're standing in the middle of it. It’s loud, messy, and every time you think it’s cleared up, another bolt hits the news cycle. Most people know her from Basketball Wives LA, but her life off-camera has been a decade-long rollercoaster of high-profile legal battles and "did they or didn't they" rumors.
She isn't just a reality star. She’s a mother of four who has spent a massive chunk of her adult life tied to one of the most polarizing figures in NBA history. But between the court dates and the Instagram spats, there’s a lot more to her romantic timeline than just the "Agent Zero" era.
The Gilbert Arenas Era: 12 Years of Chaos
You can’t talk about Laura without talking about Gilbert Arenas. They met way back in 2001. At the time, Laura was working in the PR department for the Sacramento Kings, and Gilbert was a rookie for the Golden State Warriors. It was very much a "young love in the league" vibe at first.
They were together for roughly 12 years. They never actually got married, which is a detail that still trips people up because of how they lived. They were engaged in 2008, and Gilbert reportedly gave her a ring worth $1 million. But things went south. Fast. By 2014, the split was official and it was anything but amicable.
Why it got so ugly
Their breakup wasn't just a "we grew apart" situation. It involved lawsuits over that $1 million ring, claims of being "kicked out" of their mansion, and a public war over child support. At one point, Laura even claimed she and her four kids—Alijah, Aloni, Hamiley, and Izela—were left in a car for two days because they had nowhere to go. Gilbert, on the other hand, used his massive social media platform to troll her relentlessly.
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"I know he loves me. I told him I love him. It took my son being in a deathly state for us to come together." — Laura Govan, 2025.
Fast forward to late 2025 and early 2026. Something weird happened. After their eldest son, Alijah, survived a horrific car accident where his Tesla caught fire, the two seemingly called a truce. Laura recently shared that they’ve managed to find a "great space" for the sake of the family. It’s not necessarily a romantic reunion, but after a decade of legal warfare, a ceasefire is a huge deal.
The Shaquille O’Neal Rumors: Fact or Fiction?
If you were following the gossip blogs back in 2008 and 2009, you probably remember the Shaquille O'Neal drama. This is one of those spots in the Laura Govan dating history that remains murky.
The rumor was that Laura had an affair with Shaq while he was still married to Shaunie O'Neal. It was a massive scandal at the time, especially since Shaunie was the executive producer of the show Laura would eventually star in. Laura has consistently denied that anything romantic happened, but the "receipts" (leaked emails and texts) that floated around the internet back then made it a permanent part of her digital footprint.
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That Vincent Herbert Mess
Remember 2017? It was the year of the "Tamar Braxton vs. Everybody" saga. Tamar went on a social media tear claiming that her husband, Vincent Herbert, had gotten a "whore" pregnant. The internet, being the internet, immediately pointed the finger at Laura.
It was a disaster.
Laura had to go on The Breakfast Club and Daily Pop just to tell everyone she wasn't pregnant and that Vince was "not her type... at all." She actually blamed Gilbert for fueling that fire, claiming he was just trolling her because he was upset she was moving on with her life. It turned out to be a total fabrication, but it’s a prime example of how Laura’s name often gets dragged into drama she didn't even start.
The Mystery Men and "Super White Guys"
Since the big split with Gilbert, Laura has been much more low-key. She’s learned the hard way that putting your man on TV is a recipe for a headache.
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In 2017, she made headlines for saying she was dating a "super white guy" who was a tall, French-speaking Jewish Moroccan man. She kept his identity secret, which was probably smart. She’s also been linked to various businessmen and non-athletes over the years.
She's explicitly said she's over the "athlete life."
A Quick Look at the Timeline:
- 2001–2014: The Gilbert Arenas era. Four kids, one million-dollar ring, and a lot of lawyers.
- 2008–2009: The Shaq rumors. (Denied, but never forgotten by the blogs).
- 2017: The Vincent Herbert false alarm.
- 2017–2024: Various private relationships, including the mystery Moroccan man.
- 2025–2026: Focused on co-parenting and supporting her son Alijah’s basketball career at USC.
Where is she now?
Currently, Laura seems to be riding solo or at least keeping her private life strictly under wraps. Her Instagram is less about "Who am I dating?" and more about "Look at my kids' stats." With Alijah being a 5-star recruit for the USC Trojans and her daughter Izela playing at Louisville, she’s shifted into full-time "Sports Mom" mode.
She recently hosted the TMZ After Dark tour, showing she still has that "it" factor, but the days of her dating life being the A-plot of a reality show seem to be over. She's focused on healing from childhood trauma—something she's been incredibly brave about discussing recently—and keeping the peace with Gilbert.
If you’re looking for a scandal in 2026, you probably won't find it here. She’s busy. She’s resilient. And frankly, after what she’s been through, she deserves a little quiet.
To stay updated on high-profile athlete relationships or to see how her children's careers are progressing, keep an eye on official sports recruitment trackers and her personal media appearances, as she continues to prioritize family stability over tabloid headlines.